Spencer Young Sr., CEO of the Young Automotive Group, announced the 2018 season will be the final racing season for the storied Rocky Mountain Raceways.

The venue, located in West Valley City, Utah, is comprised of an NHRA-sanctioned drag strip, 3/8-mile asphalt oval track, and a premier motocross facility.

During the 2018 season, plans are underway to conduct more than 140 events at the three tracks at Rocky Mountain Raceways.

Just over 50 acres of property where the track resides was sold to Freeport West in 2014, and a five-year lease to continue racing operations. That lease expires at the end of the 2018 racing season without an option to renew, due to the direction of commercial development in West Valley City.

“We’ve invested a great deal in the racing community, and we aren’t walking away from that,” Young Sr. said in a press release.  “We will continue to sponsor racers and support racing.”

Rocky Mountain Raceways did explore options to continue racing at the venue beyond 2018, but no agreements were reached.

The Young Automotive Group first looked into purchasing new property and building a new track – a venture that didn’t make economic business sense.  The company also reached out to the State of Utah and the Utah Sports Commission in hopes of turning the track into a public venture.  West Valley City was contacted, as many tracks are owned by the city in which they are housed.  Little interest was expressed, and the company ultimately made the decision to close the track.

In a statement released Thursday, General Manager Mike Eames said the venue holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of racers.

“Since this venue opened, so many memories have been made here,” said Eames in a press release. “Life-long friendships have been created.  People have met here through racing, developed their own love story, and are now married with children.  If the Young Automotive Group didn’t create this incredible place, none of those memories would have been possible.  We look forward to creating as many new memories as possible during our 2018 season.”

Dating back more than a century, racing has played a significant part in Utah’s sporting history.  The first race in Utah took place on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1912, and by the 1930s, racers traveled from all over the world for a chance to race at this venue and challenge its esteemed speed records.  Bonneville Raceways – where Rocky Mountain Raceways stands today – opened its doors in 1968.

It quickly became a racing hotspot, and remained so through the 1970s. By the 1990s, however, Bonneville Raceways was getting rundown.

Spencer Young Sr. saw an opportunity to invest in racing, serving not only racers, but also sports fans.  He built Rocky Mountain Raceways – a world class quarter-mile NHRA drag strip and a 3/8-mile asphalt oval track with spectator seating – and later added a motocross track.

Throughout the years countless racers have competed at the facility, including NASCAR stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle and Kurt Busch, and Ken Schrader.

“I feel very proud of the last 22 years and what we’ve built and the historic racing and family memories we’ve made,” Young Sr. said. “We invite you to come out and celebrate with us during this final season.”